How 500+ Publishers Are Driving Sustainable Mobile Game Growth
This article is part of a VB Lab Insights series paid for by the Meta Audience Network.
In a changing app ecosystem, growth-minded mobile publishers have evolved from developing great games to building great games. business.
Meta Audience Network recently commissioned a survey, conducted by IDC, of more than 500 mobile gaming business decision makers in 17 countries. The resulting insights are published in the new report: Ads, IAPs, and More: Boost Your Game.
Below are seven recommendations, backed by this research, to help gaming companies maximize monetization and growth. Recommendations are ranked based on the questions we asked about user acquisition (UA), monetization, and future development.
What growth strategies are effective in a changing application ecosystem?
- Unify AU and monetization
According to the Ads, IAPs, and More: Boost Your Game According to the report, nearly 70% of game decision makers are now developing games with a unified AU and monetization strategy.
- Cross-promotion with in-app ads
The research also found that 83% of developers believe that in-app ads (IAAs) are effective in acquiring players for other games in their portfolio, especially as part of a suite of UA solutions.
3. Nurture social communities
In addition to advertisements, game companies are creating social communities as part of their marketing strategy. More than half of those surveyed also acquire players by working with social media influencers, creating social communities outside of the game, and incorporating social features into their games.
Four. Expansion to new markets
More publishers also plan to grow their games globally. Of the more than 500 respondents, 42% said they plan to expand into new markets, especially the US/Canada, Europe or APAC.
What role should in-app ads play in your monetization mix?
5. Create a balanced IAA and IAP model from the start
Which monetization model works best at game launch? And how does that affect retention? According to 62% of developers surveyed, a combination of IAA and IAP is the best strategy to meet ARPDAU and retention goals at game launch.
6. Increase retention with rewarded videos
Nearly half (47%) of respondents selected rewarded video ads as the most important ad format. Beyond increasing mobile ad revenue, rewarded video ads also have a positive impact on multiple gaming KPIs. Of the mobile game developers surveyed who implemented rewarded video ads:
- 75% saw the same or greater number of players
- 30% saw an increase in player lifetime value
- 39% saw an increase in IAP revenue
“With rewarded video, we strike the right balance that maximizes player engagement as well as IAP and ad revenue,” said Dmitriy Makiyevskiy, Director of Ad Partnership and Operations at Zynga, in a previously released statement. success story.
How should you plan ahead for sustainable monetization and growth?
- Diversify income streams
Surveyed developers shared some additional avenues they are exploring to increase revenue:
- Sponsorships or license agreements (53%)
- Game portals and/or other app stores (44%)
- Additional distribution partners (42%)
- Organic discovery (28%)
In light of these ideas, what is your next step? Look at your growth strategy and consider your best options to acquire more players; diversify income; and build a resilient monetization model. The seven strategies above can serve as a guide, and the following infographic for reference, as you move your gaming business to the next level of success.
For more detailed information, please also download the full 2022 Ads, IAPs and more reports.
Hahn Kim is director of app monetization, Americas, at Target Audience Network.
Source: IDC White Paper, sponsored by Meta Audience Network, Succeeding in Mobile In-Game Ads, #US49232322, June 2022
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